GAMBLING ON BALLOT IN SCOTT COUNTY

SCOTT CITY - Although some issues remain unresolved, it is likely Scott County voters will have an opportunity to vote Nov. 2 on whether to have riverboat gambling in the county.

County commissioners were asked in August by representatives of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority Board of Commissioners and Promus, a Memphis-based company that operates Harrah's casinos in Las Vegas, to put the issue to a vote.

Promus told port and county commissioners that they were willing to make a major investment at the port to set up a gambling boat if voters would approve the local option. The county commission agreed to put the measure before voters; however, Promus backed out of its plans to develop at the port, citing market saturation.

The deadline for the county commission to take the gambling issue off the ballot has passed, and the only way for the election to be stopped is through a circuit court order.

Also apparently unresolved is who will pay the approximately $16,000 tab for conducting a special election. In its meeting with the county commission, Promus officials said they would pay for the election, but that was placed in doubt with the company's decision not to develop at the port.

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Durward Dover said the whole issue is being handled by the port authority commissioners. Dover said any changes in plans over whether to hold the election "is up to the port."

But Dover said, "There has been no talk about stopping it."

The presiding commissioner said the port board planned to meet today and would probably discuss a riverboat gambling proposal.

Mysie Keene, chairman of the port board, said she could not say what would be discussed specifically at today's 9 a.m. meeting at the port office because it is an executive meeting.

A public notice of the closed meeting indicated the purpose will be "to discuss contracts and real estate."

Keene also said she could not say whether other gambling boat operators were interested in the port. But in the past, several port commissioners have indicated that if the local option passed in November it would enable the port to recruit a gambling tenant.

Morty Potashnick of Sikeston, a member of the port board and past chairman, said he hopes the issue will stay on the ballot in Scott County and win approval.

Said Potashnick: "I'm hopeful it will pass in Scott County, and when it does it will become a good marketing tool for the port authority. Even though Promus has pulled back, if the issue passed, at that point other gambling concerns would be interested in us."

Keene said she does not expect the port authority to become officially involved in a campaign to win passage of riverboat gambling.

"The port authority itself could not spearhead a campaign, but if any members of the port board from Scott County wanted to get involved they could do it as individuals," said Keene.

What made the riverboat gambling concept attractive to the port authority board was an offer by Promus to spend millions of dollars on infrastructure improvements that would lead to an operation creating 700 jobs.